


Into the Fire

by fortaelleren



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: First Meeting, M/M, Mute is a smartass, Smoke can’t keep his mouth shut, alternate setting, archive warnings for later chapters, before Team Rainbow, drama and fluff, starting with the fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2020-09-19 08:24:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20328079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortaelleren/pseuds/fortaelleren
Summary: Somewhere far from home, Mark finds fragile love and pure devastation





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mikan_comeonsaysth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikan_comeonsaysth/gifts).

Camp Bravo-Delta, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq

June, 2014

Mark opened his eyes as the engine of the car he was sitting in stopped abruptly. The constant vibration paired with rhythmic rattling noises had lured him into sleep ever since the driver had picked him up from the airport. It was a military issued car, robust and persistent, with bulletproof windows and uncomfortable interior. Nevertheless, Mark’s eyes had fallen shut, the second the hit the improvised road which lead to the secret military base, his destination.

Now, the car had come to an halt in front of the gates that marked the entry of that very base, a camp with solid wooden barracks and tents, surrounded by the remaining walls of blown up buildings somewhere between the city of Erbil and the Iraqi desert.

Mark stretched his sleep ridden limps to regain full control of them before he hoisted up his full weight together with the combat attire he was wearing and his trusty rifle, then he picked up the duffelbag with new, clean clothes and some other belongings from the truck trunk. Swinging the back over his shoulder, he walked past the car, giving the driver a short nod then he approached the gates.

“Stop!”, a voice echoed across the dry landscape, a man stepped out into the sun, armed and attentive. He strolled across the small distance towards Mark. “Who are you?”, he asked, not giving away any emotions.

“Mark Chandar, SAS specialist. I’ve been called to defuse a bomb.”, Mark answered truthfully, straightening his back, setting his feet next to each other, he almost saluted in the process. He felt like a recruit again here in a foreign country where each and every man and woman had seen more death in their lives than a mortician.

“Welcome, soldier to Camp Bravo-Delta.”, the other man said after a while. He had made a silent comm call to the the base’s leadership to confirm Mark’s identity. So, the guards hadn’t been informed about Mark’s arrival, and he expected to be greeted with open arms. After all, the officer that had requested the SAS to send a bomb specialist had sounded rather agitated.

“Thanks, sir.”, Mark nodded and followed the man inside. Judging by his arm patch, he was a First Sergeant of the United States.

The base was filled with people rushing around or sitting lazy in front of their barracks to smoke a cigarette. All of them were watching as Mark and the First Sergeant walked alongside the accommodations towards a big tent in the center of the camp.

“This way, Private.”, the First Sergeant, Mark could finally read his name tag: K. Wright, pointed at the half-opened tent. Mark nodded, thanked the man for his guidance through the jungle of buildings and proceeded.

He looked inside the tent, seeing several men hunched around a table, having a heated discussion. For a moment, Mark thought to announce his entry but discarded the idea. Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, stopping the argument immediately.

“Are you Mark Chandar?”, the oldest man in the room asked with knitted brows.

“Yes, that’s me.”, Mark replied, coming closer to the group.

“Took you damn long to arrive here.”, another one said with his American accent.

“I am sorry but modern planes can’t fly faster.”, Mark replied smugly. It had earned him some troubles already, his smart-ass behavior at times but he couldn’t help himself. He was used to being the smartest and the youngest person in a room.

“Anyway.”, the American said dismissive, obviously not in the mood to pick up a fight with the newbie. “Glad you’re finally here. You see, we are in a dire situation.”

“I’ve heard.”, Mark nodded, setting down his bag.

“Good. You know what we expect of you.”

“I do, indeed. You want me to defuse a bomb.”, Mark crossed his arms, not mentioning his previous thoughts of why a well-equipped team consisting of Navy Seals, the US Air Force, the British Army and SAS soldiers had never considered that bombs could become a threat in a country like Iraq were terrorism was a constant threat.

“Exactly. Our scout troops haven’t returned at this point, so we’ll summon you for briefing once we have more intel about the bomb location.”

“You don’t know where it is?”, Mark blurted out surprised. The American Captain gave him a sour look but maintained his composure. Dealing with loud-mouthed privates shouldn’t be new to him.

“We have heard about a strange activities around an old school buildings. Inhabitants have informed us about noises and they have found unusual wires close to the location. Our scouting teams have confirmed this, they have also found small packages of explosives.”

“So, we aren’t even sure if it’s a bomb?”, Mark asked carefully, not wanting to anger the Captain any further.

“It is a bomb.”, the burly man said, empathizing every single word.

“Once the soldiers return, we’ll know more. Until then, you can move into your barrack.”, another American interfered, he ushered Mark to collect his things before both left the tent. “Way to make a first impression.”, the young soldier said.

“He had it coming with that little information.”, Mark replied shrugging.

“I understand your feelings towards the mission. But I assure you, that our premonition is correct. I’ve been with a scouting team yesterday and everything about that places hints a bomb.”, the brown haired man smiled friendly.

“And nobody is capable of defusing it?”

“There would be some, I guess but it’s too risky to let someone unexperienced do it.”

“Unexperienced? Do those officers know that I have never been deployed before? I have never seen a battle outside of a simulation.”, Mark felt anger rising in is nerves. Risking his life like this was highly irresponsible when others could do the job better than him.

“Well, there had to be a first time, right? Let’s wait for the scouts to return before you make your mind explode. Come on, I show you your new home and we’ll get you something to eat.”, the man started to walk down the narrow path between the barracks, not checking if Mark would follow. He had no other options anyways if he didn’t want to get lost here. “I am Jacob, by the way. Jacob Wilson but most of my colleagues call me Spot.”

Camp Bravo-Delta, later that day, 2014

Mark watched the digits of his clock change with every minute, as he sat on his bed inside his barrack. The building was empty since his roommates were either on a mission, on the scouting team or simply somewhere else in the camp. So, Mark was all alone by himself, waiting for Spot to return with something to eat while he was supposed to unpack his belongings from the duffelbag. Of course, Mark had only stuffed his clothes inside his assigned locker. The jammer device he had built for purposes like defusing a bomb remained in his bag alongside an old photograph of him with the head of the Royal air force. It had been the greatest day of his life when he had met the Marshal of the Royal Air Force who had given him an award for his extraordinary creation: Moni, his signal disruptor. The picture reminded him of his abilities, that he was useful to the army and that he always had to work hard for success. Because back in school, he had been the best, had skipped several classes and had attended university with 14. But here in the army, he was just a small, intelligent light, ready to be blown out with a single bullet. Mark had to prove that his brains also meant that he was capable of shooting a weapon and finishing a operation with accuracy.

He sighed, stretching his legs a little while he threw his heavy jacket next to himself on the bed. His first deployment. With only 23 years, Mark was considered one of the youngest troops among those who were operating at this base, so he had to prove even more that his age didn’t determine his abilities.

“I found some soup, if you like.” Spot entered the barrack, handling two bowls at once while his free hand closed the door behind him. “The food here isn’t exactly a culinary enrichment but it will fill you stomach for some hours.”

“Thanks.”, Mark muttered as he placed a bowl on his lap, taking a first mouthful of the soup. It tasted like nothing particular. Spot slumped down on Mark’s bed as well.

“You know, we should go out and meet my squad mates. They are interested about who the SAS had send to solve our little problem.”, Spot said, spilling some of his food on his chin.

“They know?”, Mark asked disinterested. He rather had the mission briefing soon than socializing with some random Americans, even if Spot was a nice guy to be around.

“I told them while fetching our dinner.” Once Spot had finished his bowl, he leaned his back against the wall on Mark’s bed. “So, you have never been in a operation before?”

“No.”, Mark removed the bowl from his leg to replace it on the floor. Turning his upper body to the American, Spot made some room for Mark to sit properly.

“I’ve been here since the beginning.”

“That are about three month!”, Mark exclaimed.

“I know.”, Spot shrugged but Mark could see the glimpse of sadness in those hazel eyes.

“Don’t you miss your home?”

“I do, kinda. Well, you know, I did leave my family behind on purpose, we aren’t exactly on good terms.”

“Oh.”, Mark only said. Having troubles with their family wasn’t something he had experiences with. His parents had been always supportive of his decisions, the had encouraged his technical interests and had never doubted him when he had declared he would join the army. Not even when he had come out as gay several years ago, had they uttered a sour word. His parents loved him with no exception, so he couldn’t quite understand those who weren’t as close to their family as he was.

“Yeah, a long story for a different day. I guess the scouts will return soon. What do you say, mind meeting my mates before?”, Spot changed the subject, probably noticing Mark’s lack of understanding.

“If you insist.”

“I do!” Spot jumped to his feet, offering Mark a freckled hand. “Alright, come on.”

Only now, that he was walking through the camp by himself ( still let by Spot, of course), Mark noticed that the barracks were strictly divided into sections for each armed force. The SAS unit was next to the British army, the main road towards the briefing tend marked a imagined border. On the other side were the Navy Seals and the Air Force. If one would look down on the base in bird perspective, it would look like a chessboard. Had someone really took their time to measure each meter of this camp precisely? Even Mark, who enjoyed linearity and uniformity, wouldn’t had put that much effort into a temporary military camp.

Spot threw open a door to another barracks, one of the Navy Seals, and entered without a word. Having drawn attention with his rough entry, Mark followed the soldier quickly to escape the watchful eyes. Inside, the room was steamy and hot, nothing compared to the breathable air in his own barrack.

“Boys and Lady, that’s Mark Chandar, the bomb specialist from SAS.”, Spot introduced him eagerly. “Mark, these are David Gibson, Craig Jenson, John Hempton and Meghan Castellano.” Spot pointed at every person as he announced their names.

“You’re are supposed to be the heaven send rescue?”, Gibson asked, pulling one eyebrow up. Mark looked at him for mere seconds, he hated when people did that with their brows because he couldn’t do it back.

“You’re so young.”, Jenson agreed with his colleague.

“Have you ever seen a dead body before?”, Hempton grinned. Mark remained silent. Answering those question would lead to nothing. These Americans were clearly up for a verbal fight, and Mark had learned his lesson to not engage in such battles.

“Damn, Spot, he he mute ore something?”, Jenson complained, looking at his younger teammate.

“No.”, Spot said awkwardly, maybe he had expected his teammates to be this hostile towards the newbie.

“Boys, shut it down.”, Meghan interrupted the three men. “I am sure he is just not used to vigorous Navy Seals that get on your nerves as soon as you enter a room.” She rolled her eyes and gave Mark an encouraging smile. “You are going to defuse the bomb?”, she asked friendly. Mark observed her for a moment, taking in her appearance. She was a muscular woman, with tattoos as sleeves on both arms and blonde hair tied in a lousy bun. She was definitely pretty if Mark could judge but he was simply not attracted to women, so he didn’t dare to say a word about a female’s beauty.

“Yes, I hope so.”, he answered silently.

“You hope? Doesn’t sound very convincing, boy.”

“John, shut up.”, Meghan said firmly. “What is the issue, Mark?” She returned to her pleasant composure, giving Mark her full attention again.

“The informations are full of holes, they have no plans about the mission and I am certain they don’t even know if it’s really a bomb.”

“I’ve heard.”, Meghan sighed. “Spot had been on the last scouting team.”

“It is a bomb.”, Spot uttered. Mark’s disbelieving on the intel made the young man doubt his own informations.

“Tomorrow, we’ll see. Have the scouts returned?”, Meghan continued.

“I think so. I wanted you to meet Mark first before.”, Spot answered quietly.

“That’s nice of you.”, Meghan smiled, giving every other squad-mate a daring look to speak up against Mark presence.

“I suppose.”, Spot retreated to the door. “Come on, Mark, I’ll bring you back.”

Mark gave Meghan a friendly nod as a goodbye, ignoring the others. When he exited the barrack he could hear one of the men saying “arrogant prick” but he ought to forget it as soon as it had reached his ears. Some stories about the Navy Seals were true after all, though, they didn’t count for Spot or Meghan.

Back in his own four walls, Spot left him alone, wishing him a good night. The barrack was still empty, each bed untouched, the air heated but not stuffy. Mark guessed that even the nights wouldn’t cool down all that much. Not being used to temperatures like this, mad him miss the rainy weather of England where his skin had only been sweaty after a workout session. Now, his blue shirt stuck to his wet skin uncomfortably.

A rumbling in front of the closed door stopped Mark’s train of thinking. He looked up to see three men entering the barrack.

“That last kill is on my account.”, one said, grinning.

“I don’t think so. Clearly, it was a headshot from me.”, another one disagreed.

“Oh, really? Do you want to go back and look at the corpse from which side the bullet hit the head?”

“Yeah! Come, let’s go!” Both men didn’t sound particularly friendly towards each other and Mark suspected that they weren’t talking about a training session at the shooting range. It made him feel a little sick, hearing fellow soldiers talking like this about a murdered person, no matter if this soul was a corrupted terrorist one.

“Guys.”, the third man sighed. They entered the room without noticing Mark until one of them walked up to the lockers in the back of the building.

“Well, would ya look at that.”, he said laughing. “Who do we have here?”

“Intruder!”, another said.

“I am-“

“Mark Chandar, bomb specialist.”, he was interrupted by the smallest of the three. “We know, don’t strain yourself. Took you some time to arrive.”

“I don’t make the flight plans.”, Mark said grumpily. He hated unpunctuality but it wasn’t his doing to arrive late at the Iraqi airport. The plane had had some issues, the pilot had been late as well as another passenger.

“So, you’re the reason they had sent us into the hot zone?”, the small man asked. Mark was sure that if would stand up, he would be taller by a good few centimeters.

“Probably.”, he shrugged.

“Collected some fine shit for you, just wait for the briefing tomorrow.” the man slumped down on his own bed across from Mark’s after he had stored away the unnecessary clothes.

“I am hitting the showers!”, another one announced, rushing out the barrack with a towel.

“Bastard.”, the man next to Mark muttered. “Anyway, I am James Porter, call me Smoke, this is Seamus Cowden and the idiot that had left is Christopher Gastrell but Ace is enough.”

Mark nodded to symbolize that he understood before Smoke rolled around on his bed to face the ceiling. Seamus went to retrieve something from his locker, giving Mark a small, friendly smile as he passed. Mark returned it, then he averted his gaze to observe Smoke’s features. It has always been interesting to him to analyze unknown people just by their appearance. He didn’t judge only learned. Smoke had dark brown, slicked back hair, defined cheekbones along with a sharp jawline that wasn’t hidden by a beard, his profile was nothing unordinary, full lips, a typical male nose and his forehead had normal size. Even from this distance, Mark could see the glow of his bright eyes that had regarded him with a mischievous look before. In contrast to Meghan, Mark would definitely call Smoke attractive. But he dismissed the thought quickly. His task here was to defuse a bomb and to stay alive during the process, then he would return to England. From the beginning, he had had no intentions in making friends around the base, they wouldn’t see each other again anyway.

Which is why, Mark laid down on his bed, loosened his limbs and waited patiently for Ace to return. So, when Seamus or Smoke would go to the bath, he could join them. He still had no idea where every point of interest was in this camp and if the mission would go as smoothly as he planned then he didn’t need to remember them. He didn’t plan to stay in Iraq longer than a weak at maximum.

Camp Bravo-Delta, next morning, 2014

“Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead.”

Mark felt cold liquid being splashed on his face before he retrieved his full consciousness. Tearing his eyes open in shock, he sat up straight, looking around confused.

“Don’t they teach waking up early anymore at Hereford or are you just lazy?” In front of his bed stood Smoke with an empty bucket in his hand. He gave Mark a shit-eating grin, while the younger soldier tried to get a grasp on the situation. Smoke poked Mark’s right cheek, leaning in to study the weary face. “Are you awake?”, he asked, still amused.

“What?”, Mark finally said.

“Are you dense?”, Smoke laughed whole-heartly. “Come one, baby, we have a briefing at 0700 and I want to eat before those American assholes annoy me.”

Mark stood up from his bed, stretching his muscles. Life returned to his body. He looked back on the wet pillow then to Smoke who waited for him to move and get dressed.

“Couldn’t you have wake me up nicer?”, Mark asked as he snatched a new blue shirt from his locker and the combat pants. Fastening his belt, he turned around to put on the heavy black boots.

“You slept like a stone, guess the time zone difference is hitting you hard.”, Smoke shrugged, still grinning but calmer.

“Yeah.”, Mark agreed. He had always difficulties with sleep when something major in his surrounding changed, like the seasons in England or the time zone in Iraq now.

“Whatever, Seamus and John left me to take care of you marmot, so hurry up. I am hungry. Don’t forget to brush your teeth, you don’t want to kill our mates with bad breath, right?” Smoke leaned against the wall, watching Mark getting ready.

Ten minutes later, both soldiers left the barrack and head towards the improvised kitchen. This early, only a few soldiers were awake already since most missions happened in early noon. Mark was glad to be considerably alone, he didn’t mind Smoke’s company even though the man was talking like a waterfall but it was enjoyable to listen to him (some of his endless stories were actually interesting).

“Our first trip to the hot zone was bad shit crazy.”, Smoke told him, as they settled down in the corner of the eating area. They had each a plate with bread, butter and cheese. No high quality food but it will do its job. “Seamus, John, two Americans and I. We were supposed to secure a passage for further evacuations of the city, suddenly we heard a squeaking sound and in the next second a RPG exploded next to us. Those damn grenade launchers are everyone’s nightmare here. Anyway, you see, as John and Seamus were knocked out since they had been the closest to the blast, the two Navy Seals and I rushed through an ally to approach those bastards from behind. I tell ya, it took three precise shots from each of us and our attackers fell to the ground like water-drops.”

Mark chewed on his stale bread as he watched Smoke talk ever so enthusiastically about the event. The older man’s eyes lit up in excitement as he continued his tale, Mark could the the dark chocolate color of his iris. It’s been a while since he last had seen someone as appealing as Smoke.

“What kind of RPG did they carry?”, Mark asked. He didn’t want to stay quiet all the time, Smoke might understand it as a lack of interest and Mark didn’t want to come of as rude. Being the outcast back in England was enough, he might not make friends here but he surely did not want to make enemies either. 

“Uh, a Neto.”, Smoke answered baffled.

“So it was a one shot event.”, Mark said as he remembered the RPG-22. A grenade launcher with 72,2 mm caliber and and a Breakdown Power of approximately 390 mm. Smoke’s team had been awfully lucky if nobody had been injured.

“Yeah, we didn’t know though.”

“Three bad guys less.”, Mark shrugged, making Smoke smile.

“You’re right.”

They finished eating their breakfast in silence. Mark had felt Smoke’s eyes on him whenever the younger man gazed around the camp, though both avoided eye contact. It was awkward somehow, luckily Spot managed to appear, breaking the odd moment.

“Here you are, Mark. I wanted to pick you up for briefing but I guess you have found company. Hey, Porter.”, Spot greeted them politely. Mark was certain to see a little disdain on his features as he addressed Smoke.

“Is it time?”

“Almost, wouldn’t do any harm if we are early.”

“We’re ready to go. Right?” Mark looked at Smoke who gave him a nod, averting his gaze from the young American.

“You two?”

“Smoke was part of the scouting team yesterday.”, Mark explained, not understanding why Spot held a grudge against the Englishman. Sure, Smoke could chatter a lot but that wasn’t really a reason to dislike somebody.

“I see. Well, Meghan is waiting for us.” Hearing the Navy Seal’s name, delighted Mark yet he feared that the rest of Spot’s team would join them as well.

“The lady’s with us?”, Smoke grunted.

“Is there something wrong about it?.”, Spot snapped back.

“No? Jesus, calm your tits, hot-head.” Smoke shook his head exasperated. Mark couldn’t help but chuckle about the encounter. Both, Smoke and Spot, were equally quick-tempered, so much had he learned in the past hours.

Upon entering the briefing tent together with Smoke, Spot and Meghan, they were greeted by the American Captain and a unknown English officer. Getting closer, Mark discovered that the Captain’s name was R. Andrews and the SAS soldier was also a Captain called T. Villin.

“Good morning, ladies.”, Andrews said in a harsh tone. “We are still waiting for Cowden and Gastrell.”

“They’re running.”, Smoke announced.

“I don’t care, if they’re not here in five, I expel them from this mission.”

Mark observed Smoke’s unchanged face quickly after the rude reply. Actually, the American had no such power among the British ranks, even if the soldiers were too late but since the English soldier stayed quiet, Mark suspected he agreed with his temporary colleague. Smoke, however, seemed serene, his features were even though Mark assumed irritation beneath these facade. He didn’t know his roommate all to well, then again, he had been able to pick up a couple of his peculiarities already. Watch and learn.

Noises in front of the tend forecasted Seamus and Ace’s arrival. Seconds later, they stomped through the thin flap of fabrics, faces red as tomatoes.

“What happened to you two?”, Captain Villin asked.

“Iraqi sun is hot.”, Ace replied grinning. Smoke huffed next to Mark without Ace hearing it. There had to be a friendly rivalry between them.

“Ran around the base, nothing major.”, Seamus added to smooth out the officer’s nerves.

“How nice of you to finally arrive. Can we start now or do you need a set of new lungs first?”, Andrews growled.

“Please, go on, Captain.”, Ace shot him a fake smile.

“The scouting team from yesterday had collected more intel about the area.”, Andrews began with the briefing, scattering photos across the table plus opening a map. Mark studied the photographs of houses, windows and streets.

“Porter?”, Villin only said.

“Right. We went into the hot zone from the North side which is the best evacuated part of the city. Our trip was mostly eventless, we only encountered some civilians. But once we came closer to the bomb position, we faced at least a dozen of hostiles. A ground drone has located the bomb inside an empty school building close to the center of Erbil. We suspect that the bomb itself is guarded even better.”, Smoke reported.

“It is safe to assume that this bomb must be of great importance. Usually, they hide their explosives but this one is rather attracting attention.”, Seamus concluded, stepping next to Smoke with Ace. Mark made some room for the two burly soldiers.

“Chandar, Erbil is capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan and currently held hostage by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It is important for us to liberate the city since we are not able to evacuate more inhabitants. You’re about to face a Salafi jihadist militant group which’s ideology is radical and violent. One might call it terrorism. Your job will be the defusing of the bomb, therefore the the present team will escort you inside the school where they try to defend the place as long as needed.”, Captain Villin said with a thick English accent.

“We expect a tactical plan from you by tomorrow morning.”, Andrews added.m

“Sir.”, Mark began, all eyes were on him. “Those pictures hold no information of importance for me.”

“Excuse you? We nearly died to make them!”, Ace nearly yelled even though he was standing mere meters away from Mark.

“I do not question your efforts.”, Mark said calmly. “I see sniper spots, hideouts and narrow alleys but what I need are escape routes, the structure of the school building, how many floors, on which is the bomb, how do we get inside and how do we exit.”

“What do suggest?”, Smoke asked, ignoring his squad-mate.

“Either we send in another scout team or we make plan based on this. I would not recommend it though. It’s too risky.”

“Exploring the place might be really the better option.”, Spot said with a thoughtful face. “Meghan and I still need positions for our surveillance devices.”

“That’s true. We haven’t found good places for the cams.”, Meghan agreed.

“My drone could make pictures.”, Ace said defeated. “They won’t be high resolution but the drone is designed to go by unseen. The camouflage mode will prevent the terrorists from noticing it.”

“We send in four of you, Castellano, Wilson, Gastrell and Cowden. Stay at a safe distance, let Gastrell’s drone do the job. Castellano and Wilson, you make out your camera spots. Cowden, I expect you to secure your teammates.”, Andrews decided, then he looked at Mark, “This is the last chance otherwise you have to go in blind. Time’s ticking and we have no idea when they detonate the thing.”

“I understand.”, Mark nodded. He would have gone into the hot zone, as Smoke called it, by himself to collect the needed information but he could comprehend why Andrews didn’t want him to. He was the man for defusing, no need to risk his life ahead of the actual mission.

“Team get ready. Meeting in 40.”

Mark left the tent as the first. He felt guilty somehow. On on hand, it was the right decision to talk about his complaints. The missing pieces were crucial to the success of this operation. On the other hand, he endangered the lives of four soldiers. If one of them died, could he ever live with the knowledge of being the reason?

He sighed. Why was his first deployment so frustrating?

“Very great, Chandar.”, Ace walked up to him with a loathing face. “I kill you if something happens out there.”

“Hey, let him be. It’s his job to estimate the best plan.”, Smoke defended him.

“Are you on his side, now? What, did his feigned interest in you heat your loins or are you just as stupid? Oh wait, I don’t need an answer, it’s both.”, Ace yelled furious.

“Shut up.”, Smoke growled yet he stayed calm.

“He is getting us killed! This bastard has no rights! We’ve been here for three fucking months and he comes around with his new, shiny uniform and puts in danger on the second day. He is a fucking private! Why do the Captains even listen to him? What can he know better than any of us?” Ace’s face was red as he screamed.

“He has more brains as you, that’s for sure.”, Smoke huffed. Suddenly, Ace lunged out, trying to hit Mark with his fist but Smoke was faster. He stopped the punch mid-air. “Get ready for your mission.”

“Fuck you! That’s why no one likes you!”, Ace retrieved his hand, spitted in front of Smoke’s feet, then he went to the SAS barracks.

“Asshole.”, Smoke commented after the angry soldier was out of sight. “Sorry for his behavior. Should have trained him better.”

“Thank you.”, Mark muttered silently. Again, he felt like a recruit in his first week of training. He had been so surprised by Ace’s sudden outburst of emotions that his mind had had difficulties to follow the situation. If Smoke wouldn’t had been there, he would have taken the hit directly to the face.

“Yeah. He is a maniac but sadly an excellent soldier.” Smoke began to walk down the path towards the British barracks, Mark following quickly. Together they made their way to the shooting range.

“I didn’t mean this to happen.”, Mark admitted after the second round of hitting moving targets.

“I know.” It was Smoke turn at the range. He aimed carefully, squinting one eye. Mark watched him curiously. Using that weapon seemed so natural to him, it’s weight so lightly in his hands. “Don’t stress yourself so much about it.” Smoke looked up after hitting the wooden target directly between the black eyes drawn on the panel.

“They will make it, right?”, Mark gave Smoke an unconvinced look. Sighing, Smoke put down the weapon to face Mark fully.

“Look, Seamus and Ace are both tough guys. They know this place and so do Wilson and Meghan. After all, don’t concern yourself with someone like Ace.”

“If there are difficulties, I-“

“Mark!”, Smoke smacked him softly against his cheek. “They’ll return safely.” He stared into Mark’s eyes with an intensity that made the younger man shiver despite the hot temperatures. If someone were to see them, it would be an odd picture with Mark being much taller yet far younger and Smoke as his superior having to look up to him.

“Yes, it’s just-“, he stopped at the loss of words.

“New.”, Smoke finished for him.

“Mh.”, Mark sulked.

“How about we go for a run, have a shower, treat us some food and I show you something nice?” Smoke cocked an eyebrow questioning. “How does that sound?”

“Uh-good, I guess.”, Mark shrugged, blushing slightly which was no good sign.

They passed hours with their work out, the subsequently shower and the dinner they had taken with them. During that time, Mark had learned more about Smoke. There was a difference between the loud-mouthed, social person he was in his free timeand the focused, determined one he became when being on duty. Mark discovered that he preferred the first, because Smoke couldn’t shut his mouth just like him, only that Mark did it whenever he felt his intelligence threatened. Smoke on the other hand was able to maintain professionalism when being around higher ranks, in briefings and missions. It was something, Mark ought to learn as well.

With a plate of melted and then heated meat, some tasteless potatoes and carrots in their hands, Smoke lead Mark through the whole base until they reached a crumbled wall of a former house. It wasn’t high enough to secure the camp, and both climbed up easily. Behind the barrier, they walked down an old road to another building which’s roof one could reach by stairs. On top, Mark found two sacks stuffed with hay and sand, Smoke slumped down on one, gesturing Mark to take the other.

“Take a look.”, Smoke said, taking a bite from the meat. Mark was confused at first but once he looked around, he understood. In front of him, unfolded the desert landscape, sprinkled with ruins and green and brown plants. It was a beautiful sight if he ignored the war raging in this country.”I come here when I fight with Ace which happens a lot. Up here, you’ll never hear a explosion or see a human die. There is just silence and tranquility.”, Smoke explained, smiling melancholy.

“Indeed, it’s nice.”

“I am sorry that the called you for this job.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re too young to see such devastation. I am sorry that your first deployment might be your last.” Smoke looked at him with those brown eyes that expressed a strange sadness.

“That’s okay.”, Mark replied, smiling genuinely. “I am glad to be here, it was boring at Hereford. You know, I don’t really have friends there. It’s a welcoming change to see new faces.”

“People treat different when you are different.”, Smoke nodded.

“What Ace said about nobody liking you-“, Mark started but couldn’t finish the sentence.

“He wasn’t wrong. My comportment doesn’t appeal to many people.”

“You know, I think Ace is a dick. Also, he is wrong.” Smoke gave him a questioning look. “I do like you.”

“Then you are mistaken if you believe you have no friends in SAS.”, Smoke smiled his heart warming smile, that made Mark blush again. But the younger man returned it, feeling content for the first time in this foreign country. Maybe making friends here wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note, that the way I portray the American troops and mainly the Navy Seals based on the impression I gained through watching lots of movies with similar settings.


	2. Chapter 2

Camp Bravo-Delta, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq

three days after Mark’s deployment, 2014

Four floors, two entry doors, two fire exits and hundreds of big screened windows. That were the structure information the scouting team could gather. The school was big, the bomb on the highest floor, heavily guarded. The building itself was empty, the surrounding not. According to Meghan and Spot’s surveillance devices, there were at least three dozen terrorists. Everyone waiting for the final blow.

Mark had read the reports from every scouting team, had used every single photo of the area for his plan, had drawn escape routes for the school and the city. The only missing piece for this giant, dangerous puzzle was how to get into the building in the first place. 

He sat on the dusty ground of his shared barrack, papers and pictures spread out in front of him. Hours had past while he had stayed in the same position, deliberating which path would be the best option for their assault. Needless to say that he had slept for about three hours before his mind had grown too restless. After all, the whole operation was depending on his plan.

The door opened with a creak, wooden floor boards cracking as heavy steps came closer. Mark didn’t look up from his work, knowing very well who would dare to distract him.

“I won’t visit you in hospital when your back breaks from bedning this long.”, Smoke said, crouching down next to Mark. “And I am sure, you can’t speak one Arabian word.”

“عليك اللعنة!(Fuck off!)”, Mute grumbled.

“Yeah well, I can’t speak Arabian as well but that didn’t sound nice.” Smoke stayed silent for a while, sitting down more comfortably. So, he was going to stay longer. Mark sighed.

“Can I help you?”, he asked, looking at Smoke.

“Not really. I was just wondering if our little nerd has made any progress.”, the older man shrugged with a smile on his dry lips.

“I might have if you wouldn’t disturb my thinking ever so often.”, Mark snapped back without being angry. In fact, it was a welcoming distraction.

“Don’t be like that, baby. I am just worried that you blow your head up about this thing.” Smoke sounded genuine, not in a mocking way but actually concerned.

“I just need a way in.”, Mark exhaled in defeat. “Every possibility I have considered so far would attract too much attention. We would be seen and dead before even entering the building.” Smoke studied the Mark’s tired face, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“You’re working yourself up over this.”, Smoke said with a grunt, shuffling closer to Mark, obviously to have a better look at the details. “When have you seen daylight the last time?”

“There are windows.”, Mark shot him an unimpressed look.

“You’re a hard one, huh?”, Smoke chuckled, averting his gaze back to the papers on the floor. “Hey what about this?” He pointed at one picture.

“That’s a fire exit door.”, Mark explained confused.

“Why don’t we use it?”

“Because it’s on the fourth floor.”

“Where the bomb is. Coincidentally.”

“And how do you want to reach that door?”

“The stairs?”

“There is no cover for us. We would serve ourself one a silver plate if we go up that way.”

“But it’s on the backside where the guards are basically non existent. I know it, I’ve been there.”

Mark wanted to argue further about Smoke’s insane idea but then an imaginable light bulb turned on in his head and his face lit up in way that made Smoke grin smugly.

“That’s... you’re right. That could work.”, Mark stammered looking at the map again, drawing a last red line on in, then a red circle around the fire exit door on the photograph. “That could be our way in.”

“That, my dear,-“ Smoke smiled brightly at him. “is our way in.” He jumped to his feet in ecstasy, pulling Mark up in the process. His hands were unbelievable warm and Mark assumed that Smoke must have been out in the hot sun for the whole day. Now, that he was standing unbelievable close to the older man, he could see the faint sunburn across his nose and cheeks that hid the tiniest freckles. Ultimately, Mark had to smile as well but he felt the blush creeping up on his face, so he looked away, making some distance between them. A bomb defusing operation in a war ridden country with a man he knew approximately two days was no place to catch feelings.

Immediately after, Smoke had dragged Mark to the briefing tent packed with their finished plan. Captain Andrews and Villin had been surprised about hearing that the Private had been sitting above the data like a “mute monk”(as Smoke had called him) to make this plan. Yet, they had been pleased by the efforts and maccepted the routes Mark had estimated with gratification. Smoke didn’t say that it had been actually his idea to use the fire escape door, giving Mark full spot for praise and glory.

Together with the officers and the summoned team, the discussed the procedure of their operation.

“Cowden and Wilson, you take the front. Castellano and Gastrell the back. Your job will be to secure Chandar’s safety. Porter, you guard his side. Once you’ve reached the insides of the building, I expect of you to follow Chandar’s lead. I know, your ranks are higher but he is the specialist. Without him,this mission will fail.”, Villin explained firmly.

“Castellano and Wilson’s teammates will escort you to the end of the safe zone. Afterwards, you’re on your own.”, Andrews added.

“Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir!”, everyone answered in union. Mark looked around the soldiers, receiving a venomous look from Ace. The older man was still angry with him. But probably more about the fact that Smoke had sided with him in the past.

“You have free time for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, exactly 0500, the operation begins.”

“What do you usually do at home when you have free time?”, Smoke asked upon their return to the shared barrack.

“I spend it in the workshop at Hereford.”

“Nerd.”, the smaller man huffed.

“I designed this.” Mark retrieved his jammer from the security bag underneath his bed.

“And what is that?”

“A signal disruptor.”, he announced proudly.

“Ah-“

“I will take it with us on the mission. Once my device is activated, the signal of the bomb will be jammed, so no one can detonate it with a remote, only manually.”

“It’s actually helpful then.”

“Hey, don’t be mean. I received an award for my job.”, Mark pouted. “What do you do?”

“Well, if I can’t go home for that time, I usually laze around. That’s why I hoped you would do something more thrilling.” The smaller man slumped down on his bed across from Mark’s. “Guess we’re both boring.”

“I like my work.”, Mark protested. “And it’s not boring!”

“Yeah, calm your tits, hotshot.”, Smoke waved dismissively at him.

“You don’t stay at Hereford during off time in England?”, Mark asked to change the subject.

“Nope, I have a house nearby. You know, payment in SAS is not so bad. And you’ve heard Ace, they don’t like me anyway.”, Smoke shrugged, supporting his weight on both elbows to look at the younger man with abetter angle.

“A whole house for you alone?” Mark knew how to ask for things without explicitly saying it. He wanted to know wether Smoke had a girl at home waiting for him or if people disliking him was a general thing in society and not only in the army.

“Basically, yes. My job is not really made for relationships.” Mark studied Smoke’s honest face. “People tend to hate it if their parter spends most of his time at a military base or on operations.”, Smoke added for explanation.

“It wouldn’t bother me.”, Marl blurted out, regretting it instantly. He didn’t want to sound like he was indicating something but it really did not bother him.

“That’s because you’re a soldier too.” Either Smoke had missed the true meaning behind Mark’s words or he simply ignored it.

“Maybe.”

“So, you don’t have a weeping wife waiting for your save return?” Smoke brows rose in interest as he sat up to turn towards Mark fully. The taller man had settled down on his bet comfortably but right now he felt to hot in his own skin, so he squirmed a little, fidgeting with the pillow.

“Uh no, I...I will never have.”, he smiled shyly.

“Don’t say that. I am sure there are plenty of women waiting for you.”

“No, it’s not because of the selection. I just don’t... swing with women.”, Mark swallowed down the lump in his throat. He was actually quite confident about his sexuality, had never a reason to hide it. In the army, it had never been important, so he had never told anyone.

“Fine, then plenty of men.”, Smoke shrugged again. “I would take both if one were to like me that much.” He grinned which eased Mark’s strained nerves. There would be no strange feelings between them. Good.

“I like you.”, Mark said dryly to facade his emotions.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Silence. Long stares that tried to read each other’s faces. Eyes searching for answers. They did not speak a word. Then the door opened and the moment was gone.

They wouldn’t come to talk again before the mission next day.

Near center, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq

four days after Mark’s deployment

To say that the mood was tense, would have been an understatement. Literally, every person with a little bit of common sense could feel the strained air between the soldiers.

Mark walked close to Smoke whose eyes gazed around the buildings to make out any danger before it could hit them. Jenson and his mates had left them mere minutes ago at the edge of the safe zone. The hot zone wasn’t different in any kind except that the constant threat of the lurking terrorists was eating at their nerves.

“It’s very quiet.”, Meghan speaks aloud the thing they were all thinking.

“Like they want us to get to the bomb.”, Spot agreed. The Americans were closer to Mark and Smoke with Seamus and Ace walking ahead to scout the street.

“We estimated the route to avoid enemy contact as best as we could. They might never notice us.”, Mark said under his breath, catching the hint of a proud smile in Smoke’s lips from the corner of his eyes.

“That would be preferable.”, Meghan replied just as quietly.

Ever so often, Smoke had found a way to touch Mark’s shoulder, back and even his hips at times during their journey to the school. Mostly, the contact felt unintentional to Mark. It wasn’t uncommon. Often, Smoke had made him stop that way before the lead team would give the all clear to pass a crossroad, or he had gained Mark’s attention to signal him about suspicious noises and movement. But then, there had been a few moments when Smoke had brushed across Mark’s body simply for the purpose of touching him. The contact was faint but all to present in Mark’s mind. He nearly lost his concentration on the mission, therefore he was thankful that they arrived quickly and without disturbance at the school.

Just as Smoke had suspected, they could climb up the steel stairs to reach the fire door at the back of the building. Not a single shot was fired. The short walk through the hallway was just as easy.

“Something is off.”, Meghan said to herself as they entered the classroom in which the bomb was located. A beeping was barely audible but they all knew the bomb was active. Quickly, Mark set down his backpack to retrieve Moni. He set up the jammer close to the bomb and suddenly everything went quiet.

“As long as my disruptor is activated, the bomb won’t receive nor send a signal. The terrorist must have to detonate it manually which I hope they won’t.”, Mark explained.

“Good job.”, Seamus acknowledged.

“Yeah.”, Ace agreed without really meaning it.

Smoke nudged Mark’s side as he walked up to him, smiling encouraging. The smaller man must have noticed how tense Mark’s whole body was.

“Get started.”, Ace grumbled. He sat down next to Mark since he was also trained in defusing a bomb just not as specialized as Mark. Together, they began to type in different sequences in their devices to defuse the bomb.

It had been quiet the first hour. The bomb was a difficult one, a complex structure with a integrated toxic canister. When Mark had discovered the biohazard container inside the bomb, Smoke had laughed wholeheartedly. He likes the toxic stuff, Seamus had explained after he had seen Mark’s confused look. Mark assumed that’s the reason why James was nicknamed Smoke (not as he intentionally thought the name came from a excessive smoking habit).

Now, Mark sat down next to Spot who had a look at his surveillance devices just like Meghan on the other side of the room.

“How are you?”, Spot asked, looking up from the tablet in his hands.

“Fine. Why?”

“Your first mission. You must be nervous.”, Spot shrugged, putting a more relaxed expression on his features.

“I am but I need to concentrate.”

“Which isn’t easy with Porter sitting on your neck.”, Spot grinned. “How do you cope with him? He is fucking annoying.”

“He really isn’t”, Mark said defensive.

“I am surprised, you haven’t kicked his ass the first minute he had opened that fool mouth.”

“He is nice, really. I don’t understand the fuss about him. I like him.”

“Of course you do.”, Spot sighed. “I’ve noticed because, you know, I have eyes. I might not know you that well but I know Porter for a while now and I can see the way he is literally enchanted by your presence.”

“Uh-what?”, Mark glanced at Smoke who was sitting next to Meghan, securing her side.

“Ah, come one, Mark. Are you dense? Porter is a disaster but I know admiration when I see it.”

“I don’t-“ Mark didn’t come to finish that sentence because of a sudden explosion right in front of him and Spot. For a moment, everything was just white, his eyes were hurting immediately, he knew he had closed them not fast enough to avoid damage. His ears were ringing, he couldn’t hear the loud screaming coming from Smoke, Seamus and Meghan. What had happened? Mark tried to move his limbs but they didn’t answer to his brain’s commands, also his neck and head were pounding with pain. Tears grew in his blinded eyes as he realized he couldn’t feel most parts of his body. He was paralyzed. A sudden fear gripped his mind and he began to scream for help. At least he tried to. The sounds that left his mouth were nowhere near from understandable words. So, Mark focused on retrieving his hearing. It worked. The explosive noises became dull and he could finally hear a familiar voice.

“Mark! Mark, are you okay?” Smoke yelled. Yes, Mark wanted to answer but his voice failed him. He heard clothes shuffling, heavy footsteps as someone came closer. “Mark! Hey, baby!” Mark looked around but his vision was blurry, a mixture of colors and forms which mingled together as something unidentifiable. A shadow crossed his line of sight once, then he felt warm hands on his torso, his head being shifted to rest on a soft underground. “Do you hear me?” Smoke’s voice was desperate and filled with fear. Mark nodded, trying to talk. “Shh, it’s okay. You have a nasty wound on your head. We need to get you out of here.”

“We cannot leave.”, that was Meghan’s voice. “The whole building surrounded.”

“How could they attack so suddenly?”, Smoke asked hysterically.

“I have no idea.”

“But, Mark-“

“He’ll die if we go now.”, Meghan said firmly.

Slowly, his vision returned. As the outlines of his surrounding became sharper again, he looked up to see Smoke behind him. Mark opened his mouth but closed it again, he couldn’t talk anyway. Smoke had placed Mark’s head on his lap and was stroking through the dirty and sweaty hair of the younger soldier.

“Mark, hey.” Mark smiled as an response. Smoke brushed away the dust on Mark’s face, blood sticking on his fingers. “You heard her. You need to stay awake okay?” Mark nodded. “Good. As soon as reinforcements are here, I’ll bring you to a hospital. Promise me, you will survive!”

“Ahh-ye-“, Mark felt ashamed for the noises his mouth produced.

“Shh-shh, I am here.”

“Mmm-de-deees-rrrr.”

“Your disruptor?” Mark nodded eagerly. “It’s still up.” Mark smiled again but soon enough his brows knitted together in pain. Smoke looked down on him with such a worried face that Mark feared death even more. Soothing, Smoke stroked his fingers through Mark’s hair. The younger man’s forehead was sweaty and covered in bloody that already started to dry. Weren’t it for the shallow breathing which was accompanied by a rattling noise from deep down his lungs, and the weary but opened eyes that stared at the man above them, no one would suspect that Mark was still alive.

“How is he?”, Seamus came by later, dust on his concerned face.

“Breathing.”, Smoke answered without looking up.

“Ace and Wilson.”, Seamus began but stopped when Smoke gestured him to be silent. Mark wanted to ask what happened to them since he could sit up to look around by himself, his voice and his body was still not functioning.

“We called Andrews, he is sending a team.”, Meghan called from further away.

“Is the bomb deactivated?”, Seamus asked after checking on Mark who nodded now. If his disruptor was still working along with the defusing device which was meant to finish the last steps automatically, then the bomb should be harmless now. Though, Mark wanted to retrieve the toxins inside the set up. They couldn’t leave a biohazard substance behind for the terrorists to use again.

“Good, so we just have to wait.”

“We don’t have that much time.”, Smoke said, voice tight to prevent his fear of being heard. But Mark knew that Smoke was afraid, he could see his watery eyes, the tears he tried to hide so desperately. If he only could move his arms, he would try to reach for Smoke’s face to assure him that he wouldn’t die. However, Mark’s body was useless right now and the fight against sleep became harder with every passing minute. Soon, he could hear Smoke calling his name, begging him to stay awake but Mark couldn’t help but close his eyes. He was tired and the sleep would make the stinging pain in his head dull for a while. After all, Smoke was there to caress him, Mark wouldn’t die that day. Right? The silent darkness of sleep greeted him, feeling numb to anything around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a shorter chapter but I didn’t want to tell too much in this one, otherwise the next chapter would be way too short. Also, my writing still is really fast. The plot moves on quickly, that’s why this fic won’t be that long after all.  
Please tell me your opinion and leave a kudos :)


	3. Chapter 3

Bomb Location, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq

four days after Mark’s deployment

When consciousness returned to Mark, the first thing he felt was an unbearable pain in his whole body. It was racing through his nerves like sharp knives. He huffed as he tried to open his eyes, only to see familiar combat clothes.

“Hey, Mark. You’re awake.”, he was greeted by a soft voice. when he looked up, he saw the worried face of his friend. Smoke seemed to have cried. Mark wanted to smile and answer but his throat denied him any kind of word. “Shh, it’s fine. Just stay calm.”

Mark sighed strained. Moving his head, the pain intensified but he kept going. Smoke assisted him to secure a position that would cause the least further damage on the younger man’s body. Mark looked around the destroyed room, half a wall was missing as well as parts of the floor. They had been lucky that the whole building didn’t collapse upon the blast. On the other hand, they were exposed to everyone outside the school. Launching an second, more lethal attack would be easier as cutting bread. Mark found his signal disruptor, still up and working. At least the bomb wouldn’t detonate, unless it would be hit.

What a miserable situation they were in.

Mark took a deep breath, his chest hurting while expansing to make his lungs room. His ribs were surely hurt. His first deployment and most likely his last.

“Reinforcements in sight!”, Seamus called through the room. “Let’s hope they make it.”

“Of course, they will. They send my boys.”, Meghan answered, a tired smile on her face.

“Do you hear that?”, Smoke stroked through Mark’s hair, carefully avoided the still bleeding wound. Mark hoped so desperately that his brain was okay and it was just a result from shock that he couldn’t speak. “You’ll going to be okay. You hear me, baby?”, Smoke’s voice was strained, full of heavy emotions. Mark wanted to tell him and thank him but he couldn’t. Instead, he nodded slightly and and grabbed the older man’s hand with his healthy one and squeezed as tight as he could.

“Incoming missile!” Seamus ran to Meghan’s side to pull her out of danger while Smoke leaned above Mark to shield him. The projectile hit the leftovers of the wall on the West Side.

“That was clearly aimed for the bomb.”, Seamus huffed, returning to his old position.

“We can’t do anything.”, Meghan said.

“How long until reinforcements arrive?”, Smoke asked.

“They’re getting through the counter attack.”

“How’s Mark?”, Meghan walked over to them. She kneeled down. Swift fingers moving along Mark’s shivering features. He hadn’t noticed that his body was shaking until now. “He has a shock. Poor boy.” She patted his hair when Smoke had removed.

“He cannot talk.”, Smoke said concerned.

“Might be a shock reaction or..”, she gave Smoke a telling look. Or his brain is ruined. Mark felt tears in his eyes and he cried without as sound.

“Hey now, you will be fine. I promise!” Smoke began to caress him again, attempting to soothe the other man’s nerves. It would be a sweet gesture and Mark would enjoy it to no end if he wouldn’t be literally dying right now. Funny how four days could change your life so much, from having made a new friend with a immediate crush on him to dying in this person’s arms. Mark wished he could tell Smoke how he felt, so he could leave this world without guilt. But then again, it wouldn’t make it easier for Smoke.

Hours later, Mark had no idea how long exactly, the reinforcements arrived. The bomb had long been defused as Mark and Ace’s devices were still functioning. The terrorists must have miscalculated their attack, otherwise everyone would be dead.

Mark watched the soldiers moving around him, readying everything for a quick exit. Only then the young man realized that ever since the detonation, he had heard nothing from Ace and Spot. By now, he had expected a sour comment from Ace about how sweetly Smoke caressed him. But no. Mark tried to tilt his head a little to see more of his surroundings, eventually he suppressed the stinging pain and got a view of the floor next to him which was painted red, wet red. No, he thought. Panic gripped his body as the sudden reality hit him. Spot had been right next to him, if he is already this fatally wounded then... then Spot surely hadn’t survived the impact.

“Hey, Mark, what’s going on?”, Smoke asked alerted as the man in his arms began to shake uncontrolled. Ever time he averted his gaze somewhere else on the ground, he discovered more gruesome details. Mark saw pieces of clothes stained with the blood, human parts, a disconnected hand until his eyes found the mutilated body of his American friend, a blanket covered some of the nearly unidentifiable corpse.

“What’s with him?”, one of the soldiers stopped by, looking down on Mark but asking Smoke. Mark didn’t register the fave nor the voice, he felt collapsing.

“A shock, I guess.”, Smoke answered dismissive. “Mark, you need to calm down, we’re about to leave.” The older man stroked gently through his sticky hair but it did nothing to soothe Mark’s nerves. Then he finally broke down from tensing every muscle to sobbing with pathetic noises since his brain couldn’t produce coherent things right now. “Shhh, what’s going on? Mark, baby, please calm down.”

“Hey, Mark.”, Meghan knelt down, placing a hand carefully on his shoulders. “We’re evacuating now. Smoke and Seamus will transport you.” She explained softly. “Are you going to be alright with that?” Mark didn’t answer, of course not, instead he kept his eyes fixated one the torn flesh mere meters away from them. Meghan averted her gaze to the same spot, understanding the problem. “Spot died a hero.”, she whispered. “But you are only four days here, so stay strong.” With a nod towards Smoke, they hoisted him up into the air.

During the truck ride back to the camp, Mark had been drifting in and out of consciousness. The road was bumpy, not really helpful for his already hurting head. Soldiers were talking quietly, the medics already filling him with painkillers and other fluids to keep the damage at bay. Mark couldn’t focus on anything around him but he tried his best to stay awake since every time he closed his eyes, the images of Spot’s dismembered body appeared everywhere. Mark couldn’t fathom the fact that the cheery American was dead, killed by a grenade that had also killed Ace and critically injured himself. But the bomb was defused and the toxins secured, so they all had done their jobs, right? Mark felt no relief. Two men died. He had failed.

Next time, Mark woke up he was lying in a bed, covered by a white sheet across his chest and lower body. A faint beeping resembled his heartbeat and a needle stuck in his left arm, a tube attached to it. He was in a hospital. Slowly, he moved his head around to see more of the room but his eyes soon fell on a person sitting by his side. Mark wanted to say something but all that left his throat was a hoarse rasp. Wasn’t he still not able to speak?

“Mark!” That voice. “You scared the shit out of me, man.” Smoke came closer and slumped down on the edge of Mark’s bed. For a moment the older man examined his face before he hesitantly lifted his hand to swipe away the sweat on Mark’s forehead. Smoke’s fingers were cold against his own hot skin but the slight touch felt so good. Mark sighed, closing his eyes for seconds.

“I swear if you wouldn’t have had made it out there.nI was so afraid. What did you do to me? I didn’t even care so much about my latest friend.” Mark wanted to say something as he opened his eyes again to watch Smoke’s expression, a mixture of guilt, confusion and admiration. Again, his lips parted to to answer but no coherent words were to leave his mouth.

“It’s fine, don’t strain yourself.” Smoke smiled weakly. “You’ll be back at the top in no time.” Mark nodded slowly. For the lack of real conversation, Mark grabbed Smoke’s hand and squeezed it as tight as he could though not much strength was left in his body.

“Do want to know the long list of injuries you have?”

Another nod.

“Let’s start with dozens of bruises, three broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, a fractured wrist with two broken fingers on the same hand, a concussion and a critically wound to your head. Your Broca’s area was damaged, that’s why you can’t speak but the docs assured me that you’ll heal.” Smoke explained. With every other injury, Mark wondered even more how he even had survived the grenade impact.

“Anyway, I am keeping you from rest. If your vitals stay stable like now, they transfer you back to England together with Seamus, me and a handful of other SAS men who had been here since the beginning of the operation. Since the bomb is down, the mission is coming forward quickly. You helped us a lot.” Smoke gave him another sad smile again. Mark decided that he hated that expression, the older man should never look this worried about him. With a deep and raspy inhale, Mark lifted his somewhat healthy hand from Smoke’s hand up to the older man’s cheek. He needed all of his strength to hold his fingers against the warm skin and give him a small smile. Mark could see that Smoke was on the verge of crying again, it was so strange to see a grown up man of his age cry, especially because his teammate was injured. Yet, Mark knew the reason, he felt the bubbling warmth of affection in his chest as well.

“You should sleep a bit, the doctor will come soon for a check up. Should have seen his poisoned looks he gave me, when he catched me roaming through your medical report.” Mark made a noise close to a huff, he really wanted to laugh to cheer Smoke up and show him that he is fine. “What else did he expect? They didn’t tell me shit when I asked about your condition.”, Smoke shrugged. He rose to his feet, halting when Mark succeeded in taking his wrist. “I have to go, babe. Base is waiting for my report since your lazy ass won’t write it.” Mark nodded. He could really need the rest, on the other hand, he didn’t want Smoke to leave.

“Once we’ve returned to England , I’ll treat you to good job beer, alright? You saved our asses out there.” Smoke grinned, waved his hand and left for good now. Mark wanted to tell him that he doesn’t drink alcohol but the promise of spending some time besides work together sounded too good that he couldn’t care to complain. He just needed to get back to full health.

Hereford Base, England, a few months later

“There you go, hero.”, Smoke grinned brighter as the sun while watching Mark turn around in his black suit in front of the mirror. Today, they would be awarded for their deeds in Iraqi-Kurdistan, especially Mark who had almost sacrificed his life to protect those of his teammates. Of course, there would be a honorary speech for Ace and Spot but no award could bring them back from the dead. And so, Mark would be the hero of this evening, according to Smoke who beamed with pride.

“They will cry if they hear your voice again.”, Smoke laughed. Right, ever since his return to England, he hadn’t spoken to anyone except Smoke. Mainly because it had taken about two months before he had been able to use his voice again but also because he was living with Smoke since his injuries had kept him from caring for himself. So, Mark had the joy to feel humiliated day by day because Smoke had to cleanse him, sometimes dress him and do other simple tasks. That alone made Mark feel like a useless bag of potatoes but then came Smoke’s delight. The idiot genuinely liked taking care of Mark.

“I still sound like I smoked two bags of cigarettes each day since I was 14.”, Mark answered.

“But you can talk and doesn’t have to stare at our fellow mates. They were intimidated to say the last.”, Smoke chuckled, walking up behind Mark. “May I add, you look gorgeous in that suit.”

Mark felt a soft press of lips against the back of his neck. Right, those few months of leaving together had also developed into a relationship between them that went deeper then camaraderie. Mark turned around to catch Smoke in a real kiss.

“Thank you.”, he whispered against the smaller man’s lips.

“You know, I was head over heels for you back in Iraq. I would have brought you back to base with my bare hands alone.”

“I know.”, Mark nodded and kissed him again. “Spot was right.” He the realized

“About what?”

“I was dense for not noticing earlier about my and your feelings. I would’ve loved to enjoy the first weeks of our relationship without injuries and voice.”

“That little fucker called you dense?” Smoke lifted his middle finger into the air. “ I hope he sees it.”

“I am sure.”, Mark laughed.

“Also, since I have done so much for my karma with taking care of your sweet body, you could repay me after the ceremony tonight. Gotta see what your body can do since I nursed you back to health.”

Mark rolled his eyes at the smug grin Smoke was giving him.

“Smooth.”, he replied after a quick kiss.

“I wanna hear your voice doing more than scolding me.”

“And I want to hear you shut up.”

“Ow, that hurts, babe.”

“You’ll wish soon enough for me to be mute again.”, Mark grinned.

“Oh, you always be Mute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’ve come to an end, my friends.   
I know this end feels rushed and is very short compared to the other two parts but I wanted to get the last ideas out of my system before I lose the inspiration completely. Mute and Smoke gave me some strong feelings while writing this and I enjoyed describing their characters.  
However, tell me how you liked this last part or the fic in general, maybe I’ll come back to this cute ship again :)

**Author's Note:**

> Please note, that the way I portray the American troops and mainly the Navy Seals based on the impression I gained through watching lots of movies with similar settings.


End file.
